KARACHI: Terrorists entered the Quaid-i-Azam International Airport Karachi by breaking up the security corridors of the law enforcement agencies on Sunday evening at 11pm local time.
The authorities have cordoned off the airport and cleanup operation is underway and the airport operation has been suspended till midnight Monday evening.
The authorities didn’t give details of the cleanup operation being carried out by the armed forces under the supervision of the corps commander Karachi.
There are very sketchy details available at this stage but according to unofficial details five bodies were brought to the local hospital which includes three bodies of Airport Security Force (ASF) officers. The alleged terrorist had attacked the ASF check posts with sophisticated and heavy weapons making their way to the airport tarmac and also hurled the hand grenades at the parked aircrafts causing severe damage to one of the planes as result of fire.
There are conflicting reports about the number of terrorists as some reports suggest around 15 well armed terrorists busted the airport during the busy hours in the evening. Similarly, there are no official figures available about how many attackers have been killed or arrested during the operation.
Quaid-i-Azam International Airport Karachi is one of the largest airports in Pakistan linking the country’s commercial capital to the rest of the world. Political sources were quick to blame the authorities for one of the biggest security breaches in the aviation history in the recent past.
There are reports that hundreds of passengers have also stuck in the planes which had landed just before the terrorist attack. The firing shot even heard after two hours of the attack and the fire fighting vehicles were unable to put the fire which engulfed one parked plane burnt to ashes.
According to eye witnesses armed terrorists deliberately targeted the parked planes and there are no details about the identity or group of the terrorists are yet available.